How to Make a Good Confession

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Confession is hard, especially if we are unsure about what is a sin and what is an imperfection. What should we remember during an examination of conscience? How can we make a good confession? Big questions like these have been popping up in the comment boxes of our Aquinas 101 videos since the start of our very first season. In this video series with Fr. Ambrose Little, O.P., we will attempt to provide some answers.
Want to participate? You can submit your big questions to Aquinas 101 using #AskAFriar in the KZbin comments and on social media. And don't forget to like and share with your friends, because it matters what you think!
How to Make a Good Confession #AskAFriar (Aquinas 101) - Fr. Ambrose Little, O.P.
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[@Enya111Bayting-pz2zv]

TO GOD BE THE GLORY FR.AMBROSE LITTLE...😊

[@krayz3d214]

The thought that you pulled Spiderman into your examples is a clear sign that not all monks are cut off from the outside world living in a building is true. The same with your Harry Potter reference, lol. I am a fan of monks and monasteries and have looked into how to live as a layperson through my lifestyle and actions daily and I have been a fan of Trappists and now you're giving Dominican monks a place in my heart and studies. Thank you Fr. Little 😊

[@anthonyw2931]

Thank you, Fr. Little. God bless you, all

[@roisinpatriciagaffney4087]

Thank you, Father Little. Such an important lesson. Our Lady Seat of Wisdom pray for us.

[@karenrodgers56]

Thank you so much Fr Little.. this video is invaluable, bless you, Karen

[@Insightful_Inquiries]

Thank you Fr. Little I needed to hear this! -God bless 🌹Ave Maria🌹 +Viva Cristo Rey+

[@ktnsteve]

Thank-you for your clarification. I see that I must discuss this with my confessor, who knows me so well. 😅 God bless you, too! ✝️🙏🏽

[@gregorythorne6101]

Thank you, Father ! God Bless you.

[@daniellekennedy8118]

I listened to this a few times every month before confession until I got it down. But Father Ambrose, either this is a four starburst question, or I have a one starburst brain! It was a tough concept to apply to real life situations (unless you are Jonas Jonasson, I guess). In any event, thank you for the lesson. I always look forward to the #askafriar posts, as I feel they fill gaps the Jesuits left in my education, lol.

[@brunochxca321]

Big answer, thanks

[@R.C.425]

Thank you

[@aertonpaulosenacesarsena5348]

Santo Tomaz de Aquino Rogai por nós!👏🇧🇷🇧🇷

[@antoniomoyal]

Brilliant as always

[@brianw.5230]

Great video! God Bless.

[@aaronargottelopez3488]

❤❤❤

[@vanessabernal8339]

thank you Fr Little for this video 🙏🏼❤ i often confess the habits and not the sins or vices associated with it. other times i am too vague and purposely withhold information, due to the fear that it will be too detailed and hold up the pew line. i also suffer from scrupulosity which leads me to take an all or nothing approach and makes my conscience and guilt radar faulty. would it also be prudent to ask during confession how to grow in the virtue opposite to our vice? for example if struggle with curiosity can we ask our priest to guide us in the virtue of becoming studious?

[@Eowyn3Pride]

😊

[@johns1834]

Finished RCIA, first confession coming up. My list is pretty long and basically listing the 10 commandments and working my way down. Any suggestions?

[@Insightful_Inquiries]

I have my first coming up soon as well Were you already baptized or something because from my understanding you only need to confess sins post baptism.

[@johns1834]

@@Insightful_Inquiries Yes, was 'legally' baptized long ago.

[@tm32156]

Times you may have given into any of the capital vices; omissions, especially in duties of work/family; sins against faith, hope, charity, justice, etc; the most important one love of God, and love of neighbor; have I refused to forgive anyone; have I been given a cross and run away from it; so on. Those are some of the things I try and run through when I go. I had a huge list too when I went after many years, but the good news is it gets dramatically shorter, hopefully, from that point on : ) You'll do great. Biggest suggestion would be to go frequently as a habit (every 2, 3, 4 weeks or so) even after the big first one. My priest recommended that and I did it - looking back, it's amazing how much it's helped form my conscience, heal areas where it was erring, protect against falling back, and correct a lot of faults.

[@johns1834]

@@tm32156 Thank you.

[@Quekksilber]

I am so happy for you, I also remember my first confession and how I burned my list under the cross outside the Church after the confession. :) Here are my tips: Confess the thing you are most ashamed about at the very beginning and confess it clearly. Do not expect some deep and emotional moment at absolution or your first communion. God might give you that, he might not. What he does in your soul, cleansing you, is greater than anything you could ever feel. :) And as others have said, keep going regularly.

[@tomcha75]

#askafriar When I pray the Rosary, my list of intentions keeps growing. Does it diminish or "dilute" the efficacy of the prayer if I have so many? And I find it impossible to focus on the words of the Hail Mary while trying to meditate on the Mysteries. How can I do this better that will be more pleasing to Our Lady?

[@JacksonD0716]

From my understanding, the Sacrament of Holy Orders is conferred by the Bishop’s “Laying on of hands” and the consecration prayer. I apologize for the dark question, but I can’t help but ask: what if a Bishop, for example, tragically loses his hands in an accident? Is he still able to confer the Sacrament of Holy Orders? #AskAFriar

[@Insightful_Inquiries]

I hope Fr. Little answers this lol I would say that Yes he could, and he would use what he had (nubs) or most likely find another Bishop who is able.

[@Quekksilber]

And what if the recipient loses his head?

[@songsofthesaints7152]

#askafriar Since there are 14 stations of the cross, why did St. Thomas submit 20 verses of stations' songs like 'By the cross, her station keeping, stood the mournful mother weeping, close to Jesus to the last'?

[@44esta44]

#AskAFriar Father, I just started reading Teresa of Avila's Way of Perfection....what does she mean by the will? Also, Father it sounds like you are equating venial sins with imperfections.....since in terms of sin you only mentioned mortal sin. I'm confused. Thank you. Esther

[@Quekksilber]

The questioner asked what the difference between mortal sin and imperfection is. Fr. took it back a step and distinguished between sins in general (mortal or venial) and dispositions.

[@44esta44]

What I was asking is are venial sins imperfections? Or are they different? @@Quekksilber

[@Quekksilber]

@@44esta44 venial sins are different from imperfections.

[@44esta44]

that is what I thought....oh well@@Quekksilber

[@SevenDeMagnus]

It's tough to confess, never a routine coz' priests are different but we must do our best to confess 2x to 4x a week, the sacrament of confession is the most sacrament. It's tough to be specific, concise, complete and precise on since and there's omission but we must do our best to confess 2x to 4x a week, the sacrament of confession is the most. Then there's the difficulty of impatience and easily angered confessor X-D. God bless.

[@parmiggianoreggie-ano1832]

Confession four times a week is usually discouraged, unless your confessor explicitly told you so It might depend on the type of conscience of the penitent

[@robertpesche]

Maybe your confessor is impatient because you are confessing 4x a week? That is not typical behavior. If you are committing grave sins that frequently, am ingrained habit may mitigate your guilt. Or perhaps you are suffering from scrupulosity. Either situation would be best handled by an experienced regular confessor or spiritual director, if you can find one.

[@SevenDeMagnus]

@@robertpesche Usually it's venial sins so the sin is uprooted right away preventing mortal sin but is 2x a month the sweetspot then? On average my confession (the examination of conscience is usually the toughest) takes less than 1 minute unless the priest partly doesn't realize he's doing spiritual direction already (those are toughest sessions of confession when it become spiritual direction), it could take a long time (usually I'm just the one in line, especially in a hospital chapel were there some kind of anointing during the mass which I always take advantage of). The hard part is finding a good confessor who has the schedule- most parishes have a schedule posted on the confessional box or the website or via their secretary's reply on schedules but most parishes don't follow their own schedules- you're there in the morning as per their posted schedule and then no priest; the catch-24 usually is if you ask them (not all) an hour or more before or after a mass, most would say there's a schedule for confession (it's usually circular). The only order by far in my experience that truly values the confession as the most important sacrament (according to Fr. Alar of EWTN fame) is the amazing Salesian Order of St. John Bosco and St. Dominic Savio, I can reliable go there at 5:30 am, the priest is there on the dot, confess in minutes and be attending the mass by 6am. God bless.

[@robertpesche]

@@SevenDeMagnus I think the general advice for most people who aren't dealing with habitual mortal sins is to confess at least monthly (First Friday or First Saturday is a good routine!), or better, every two weeks. Once a week is still feasible provided you aren't scrupulous and find it helpful in overcoming venial sins and faults. That's just my generalized take, always best to have a regular confessor who knows you and your circumstances and ask for his advice for you specifically.

[@matthewgaulke8094]

Is it a sin to not like Rachmaninoff's 2nd piano concerto? 😆

[@emmanuelnicholas4975]

😂😂

[@gjdsilva2003]

Yes.

[@robertpesche]

No, as Rachmaninoff composed after the Great Schism of 1054.

[@davelane4055]

Oh hell I don't know where to begin

[@robertpesche]

In a confessional!

[@michelemcdermott75]

Father Rodriguez from The Fatima Center just stated that going to Confession to a N.O. Priest is bad!! True?

[@nascot123]

The sacraments under the reform rites, including confession, are valid and anyone who says otherwise is a schismatic and not truly belonging to the Catholic Church. If Fr. Rodriguez's complaint rests on priests who are poor confessors, usually because of lack of theological orthodoxy or rigor among many priests, then several points need to be made. First, while it is true that it is the unfortunate case that there are priests who, due to either personal issues or poor formation, do not hold to theological orthodoxy, to make a blanket statement about hundreds of thousands of priests is uncharitable. Secondly, even if it is the case that there are confessors who lack theological rigor and therefore may give more advice or deny certain things are sin, blame would not rest on the person seeking absolution in such cases, and anyway, so long as sins are confessed and the proper formula is said by the priests, the sins are forgiven regardless of any fault of the priest. Thirdly, it should be noted that theological rigor is not the only factor that makes confession good or bad. There are priests, even ones who are deeply conservative and traditional, who are poor confessors or have their bad moments, as I'm sure almost all priests do. In summary, even if the experience in confession may differ in "quality", so long as the relevant rubrics and guidlines are followed your confession is valid and your sin are forgiven. For example, Dominicans like Fr. Ambrose do "N.O. confessions" and I have upmost faith in the Dominicans as excellent confessors.

[@tm32156]

He didn't say going to a Novus Ordo priest was bad, but you could imply that (rightly or not) by what he didn't say but easily could have. He recommended going to a "traditional" priest as often as possible, to advance traditional (lower case "t") Catholicism. Nothing was said that if you are in a state of mortal sin or finding yourself weak you go ASAP to whichever valid priest you can find, traditional or not because your eternal soul depends on it. I get that most traditional Catholics already know that, and maybe he was just assuming that in the video - but I think he made a serious mistake not at least re-stating the validity, or recognizing that there are many very good, experienced, orthodox priests who celebrate the novus ordo Mass.

[@brackguthrie9470]

That priest is a schizmatic an should be disciplined.

[@michelemcdermott75]

@@tm32156He did not make it clear because he has a total disdain for NO mass/priests! I grew up going to a TLM! I have no choice now but he and others/ both priests and podcasters- have drawn a line in the sand! TLM-valid. NO - bad and invalid.

[@roisinpatriciagaffney4087]

Hello Michael, I believe that my priest, who celebrates the sacrifice-sacrament of the Holy Eucharist every Sunday at our Novus Ordo Mass, where the body, blood, soul, and divinity of Our Lord is present under the appearance of bread and wine, is competent to confer the grace of forgiveness of my sins, following my confession. In Ireland, the Novus Ordo Mass is predominant. Please excuse me, but I find that my friends in America are fixated on the traditional latin mass. I hope, believe, and pray that the merits of Our Lord's suffering on Calvary are available to us in each mass, and in the sacrament of penance. Our Lady Seat of Wisdom pray for us.

[@richardashton9490]

I wish you'd stop wagging your finger.